confused about diuretics and acute kidney injury...

[IHeartPeds87]

Hi everyone! I am a little confused about diuretics and their role in acute kidney injury.

I understand that there is a fluid volume excess problem with acute kidney injury, and therefore giving diuretics (like lasix) should make sense....get rid of the excess fluid and gets rid of some potassium, a double whammy of goodness because with acute kidney injury the patient is also hyperkalemic.

however, I am confused because aren't diuretics processed through the kidneys? so why would they work with acute kidney injury?

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

There are different kinds. Look at the mechanism of action, then compare that to what you have in your physiology text about the working units of the kidney (nephrons). See how diuresis might make it harder for a kidney to do its work, and then think about how an organ that's already not able to do a good job might be further injured by being pushed harder to do it anyway.

Then come back and let us know what you figured out! And we'll help you with any problems you have.